Hot Days at the Summer Palace
by ohmyyyfanfiction
Summary: I just joined this site after reading some amazing Zutara fanfiction...so i thought i'd write my own stuff. This is rated M for a reason so please read with that in mind. Basically this takes place at the Summer Palace during the 3rd ATLA book and includes Zutarra, Taang, and Sukka.
1. Chapter 1 --Separate

**A/N  
Disclaimer: I own none of the character featured from Avatar: the Last Airbender  
Once again, this is rated M, so it's pretty smutty.**

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Chapter 1 ~Separate~

-Katara- 

She couldn't stand it anymore. Thoughts of him filled her mind. Every time he entered the same room as her, she felt her heart speed up and her breath

caught. She couldn't continue like this. The Summer Palace was big, but not big enough to avoid someone, plus she kept getting the feeling that there were

forbidden parts of the house that he was afraid to enter. That evening she had dropped a load of firewood and he had swooped down to help her pick up the

logs. When she whispered, "Thank you," his "you're welcome, Katara" tickled her ear. 

As she lay alone on her bed in the fading light, she remembered his nearness and the sweet smell of his breath with a new passion. Her body arched off the

bed at just the memory of his voice whispering her name. Between her legs, she felt moisture gather. Slowly, she wiggled out of her Fire Nation clothes and

undid her bindings. Images of him danced in her mind as her left hand glided over her sides towards the juncture of her legs and her right hand rested gently

against her right breast. Once her left hand made contact with her moist folds she felt a sudden jolt and let out a quiet moan. Soon, her right hand began

kneading her puckered breast while her left hand circled herself, finding just the right rhythm. Her legs began to stiffen and she felt the familiar trembling that

was so delicious. Shortly her breaths became gasps and her hands lost all their rhythm. As she fell over the edge, she whispered his name, "Zuko." 

-Zuko- 

He couldn't stand it anymore. Thoughts of her filled his mind. Every time he entered the same room as her, he felt his heart speed up and his breath caught. He

couldn't continue like this. That evening when she had dropped a load of firewood and thanked him when he had helped her pick up the logs he whispered her

name just to hear it said. Her name rolled off his tongue in a way that felt so right, but he was still scared. Living on a ship since he was 13, he had heard

horror stories of a firebender's first time. So yeah, he was worried for her safety and he also had no idea what to expect for himself. Before he joined the

Avatar, he never really needed that kind of contact. He had been so focused on capturing Aang that girls seemed like a waste of time; instead, he let bending

be his outlet, but now… seeing her every day… He groaned just thinking about it, about her. The other night was the full moon and he couldn't help but watch

her practice her bending by the courtyard fountain. She had been so beautiful. Her toned body silhouetted against the bright moon. By her tranquil face he

could tell she was so absorbed in her bending, drawing her power and letting it fill her soul. 

He thought about that full moon bending session as he lay on his bed. His head lolled to one side as he adjusted his sleep pants. Privacy wasn't a luxury on

any ship, not that he'd been interested in privacy for these purposes… But now he found himself alone in the Summer Palace with the strongest hard on he'd

ever had. He took a deep breath, a part of him wishing it would just go away, but the other part (the lower part) demanded to be felt. He groaned and

surrendered as he brought his hands to untie his sleep pants. _Why am I doing this?_ He asked himself, but soon his brain flooded with the memory of her, of

Katara and he remembered why. After another deep breath, he plunged his hands underneath his waistband. "Oh!" he groaned and bucked into his hand. The

friction, the grip he held around himself, the thought of her, and his sheer need sent him falling over the edge and coming in his hand. His hips sunk back onto

the bed his fiery need dying. As his breathing returned to normal, he whispered her name, again, just so he could hear it be said, "Katara."

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**A/N Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2 --Hearing

**a/n Thank you for the reviewing, following, and favorite-ing! I feel so loved! This next chapter isn't very long, but I felt I should publish something anyways. Compared to last chapter, this chapter is low key (aka not as 'exciting'), but I hope you read and enjoy anyways!**

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Chapter 2 ~Hearing~

**-Toph-**

_Oh my…_ Toph thought as she guessed at what went bump (or fwap) in the night. Now she was regretting making her tent in a spot so central. She heard

enough amorous activities with Sokka and Suki just across the way and now…

Ever since the Gaang came to the Summer Palace Toph had been sleeping in her earth tent in the courtyard. Zuko might have insisted they were safe, but she

wanted no surprises. Plus, she felt better in her element.

The sounds continued. _If only I could turn off my ears,_ she thought as she doubled the walls of her tent.

**-Zuko-**

When Zuko awoke, he refused to open his eyes, clamping them tightly shut. _No!_ he told himself, willing himself to go back to sleep. His dream had been so real,

so colorful. He kissed her wildly in his dream and she sighed his name into his mouth. Her hair had been so soft and smelled like the ocean. Zuko sighed; it was

pointless to try to return to the dream. He was awake and could feel the sun rising in the distance. He pushed the covers off and swung his legs out of bed.

Then he switched his sleep pants for his regular ones, and because he didn't have a sleeping shirt, his chest was bare. On his way out of the bedroom, he

purposefully left his shirt hanging on the hook. It was always easier to practice his firebending when he didn't have to worry about burning up his only shirt.

He jumped when he opened his door and discovered Toph leaning against the hallway.

"Toph! What are you doing here?"

"Try to keep it down next time." She said flatly, "I already have to listen to Sokka and Suki almost every night. At least there's still one other non-hormone-

filled person here."

"Toph, I-" he could feel his ears burning with embarrassment.

"Save it. Just go somewhere else or something. My ears can't take much more." With that she turned and felt her way back down the hallway.

"Toph, wai-" He bit back his comment, not wanting her to return. "Agni!" he swore under his breath. He ran both his hands through his shaggy hair

and slouched against the wall.

**-Katara-**

After her fun night, she collapsed into sleep. Now, something compelled her to open her eyes. She groaned and saw the tiniest rays of light dancing through

her curtain. _Too early,_ she thought, but she swung out of bed anyways. After pulling on her firenation clothes, she crept out of her room and headed outside

towards the backyard and sunrise. She had to blink quickly after opening the door; the morning rays crisp and bright. Before she opened her eyes, her ears

became aware of someone breathing heavily not too far away.

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**a/n So this is a 'helper' chapter, where it really just sets-up/establishes stuff for later stuff (I tried not to make it boring). Did anyone catch the hearing/noises/ear subliminal messaging I did? (It started off by accident, but I just rolled with it and it worked out fine)  
I really appreciate reviews, so if you would be so kind. :)**


	3. Chapter 3 --Early Ideas

**a/n THANK YOU for all of the reviews! It really means so much to me! Here's a little more to tie you over until my next installment. Again, nothing really sultry, but I'm definitely setting up for something big. ;)**

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Chapter 3 ~Early Ideas~

**-Katara-**

Instantly she changed into a defense stance. She bent the water from her concealed water skin into an orb around her and blindly flung the water at

whoever made the noise.

"AH!" someone cried in surprise. The forceful water enclosed them in an icy shell against a palm tree. "Katara! It's me!"

Slowly realization dawned on her and she relaxed her icy grip, bending the majority of the water back into its container. Zuko leaned against the tree,

recovering from her icy blast. She then registered that he was not wearing a shirt and she noticed how the sun reflected tantalizingly off his muscular wet

frame.

"Zuko," she whispered, and then she cleared her throat, attempting to gain composure, "Zuko, I'm sorry about that. Why are you up so early?"

Zuko smirked at her question.

"I thought you'd remember." was all he replied

"Remember what?" she asked, rolling her eyes. The fire prince's smirk was really beginning to irritate her.

"'You rise with the moon. I rise with the sun.'" he explained, quoting himself from their first bending fight at the North Pole. Katara tightened her lips. She did

not like to be reminded of that day. General Zhao killed Tui (the Moon Spirit), Princess Yue returned her life to let the spirit live, but most importantly Zuko had

been her powerful enemy. Out of all the remarks she could think of her pride ruled out.

"You had an unfair advantage. I could easily take you." She stepped off the back porch to move closer to him and pointed her finger so that she was practically

touching his exposed chest.

"Is that so?"

"Yes." She enunciated the word, hissing at the end.

"Alright," he agreed, with the audacity to smirk again, "name your time and place."

"Right now, right here." In the back of her mind, she knew this was probably a bad idea, but she buried that thought and struck an offensive stance.

"No." he declined and looked almost bored as he leaned his shoulder against the palm tree.

"Wh-wh-what?!" she sputtered

"This evening at twilight," he paused, "on the beach."

"What? Why not now?" She asked, finally regaining some of her wits.

"Twilight is the fairest time for us, because it's between night and day. And there's hardly anything I could accidentally catch on fire at the beach." With that, he

stepped away from the tree, walked past her figurine form, climbed the back steps, and went into the palace.

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**a/n I know, it's so short, sorry! I hope you enjoyed it (anyways) and you look forward to more! Some feedback would be most appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4 --Spark

**a/n So far, from the Reviews, Favs, and Followers I'm guessing you like what you're reading. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm so ecstatic that you're liking my FF. Things get a little more spicy in this chapter and I also managed to almost double the length of my entire series thus far.**

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Chapter 4 ~Spark~

** -Zuko-**

He was so stupid. _What have I started?_ He asked himself, shaking his head as he walked back into the palace. _At least I made an impression._ He thought smugly,

recalling her stunned expression. His face fell when he saw Toph coming towards him.

"Zuko," she acknowledged a knowing smile played on her lips. Zuko felt his ears turn bright red as he shrunk against the hallway to let her pass. He turned to

continue on his way when her voice stopped him.

"Hang on," Toph said, "you and Sweetness are up to something…" she waited for his reply

"Uh…" was all Zuko could manage, unsure if he should tell Toph or perhaps she already knew... Toph sighed.

"I know you two are going to spar/battle/fight whatever you want to call it and I want in."

"You want the three of us to-"

"No, no, no you and her can have at it while I watch out for…foul play." The way she paused unsettled Zuko, so he scrambled for a reasonable way out.

"But…um…isn't your…doesn't the shifty sand make it fuzzy for your feet to see?" she grinned.

"Don't worry, I will see plenty."

"Okay…" he hesitantly agreed. _What is Katara going to think, now?_ He asked himself, as he continued down the hallway back to his room to grab his shirt.

**-Katara-**

There was an instant replay inside her head. She was still rooted to the ground where Zuko had left her going over what he had said. _What have I gotten _

_myself into?_ She thought, then her pride came back and reminded her, _You wanted to show him you could beat him, well here's your chance._ Shaking her head,

hardly able to process what just happened, she sighed.

"Big plans tonight?" asked a voice, making Katara jump and twirl around. Toph stood on the porch leaning against the doorframe.

"Toph! What are you doing here?" Katara asked, trying to relax to hide her alarm. Toph laughed. Not a little lady-like chuckle, (because that wasn't Toph's

style,) but a belly clutching, eyes watering laugh that made Katara's ears burn for no apparent reason. "What?" she asked angrily. Toph wiped the last tear

from her eye and straightened up.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Toph asked, stifling a laugh.

"I don't kno-"

"Save it Sweetness." Toph interrupted, "What's up with you and Zuko?" Now Katara's ears burned for an apparent reason.

"Nothing." She replied quickly, fidgeting. Toph fumbled for the handrail and walked down the steps of the porch, onto the sand beside Katara.

"Really?" Toph raised an eyebrow "Even from up there I could tell you're lying." Katara's heart sunk, _of course Toph, of course_ was all she could think. "Listen

Sugar Queen, I already know about your little dual tonight." Katara's head jerked up in surprise.

"You do?" she asked incredulous. Toph smirked.

"Oh yes, my hearing is excellent." Katra's face became very red at the thought of what else Toph might have heard; however, Toph didn't give Katara much

time to be in shock before she continued. "It has been ages since I've felt a good fight… I won't tell anyone else, IF you let me watch. Deal?" Toph then spat

into her hand and extended it to Katara. _AGNI!_ Katara swore in her mind. _What am I going to do now?_ She thought. The only thing she could do: agree.

"Sure…Toph…" she answered doubtfully. Toph waited.

"You have to spit and shake." She explained

"Um…no…" Katara said, looking at the dirt and spit now coating Toph's hand, "I'm good."

"Suit yourself." Toph shrugged, lowered her hand, and wiped it on her shirt. "Better make it a fun fight," was the last thing Toph said before she turned and

went back into the palace. And for the second time that morning, Katara found herself dumbstruck and alone in the backyard.

**-Zuko-**

After putting on his shirt, Zuko followed the wishes of his stomach and headed to the kitchen. When he got there, he saw her, Katara. Of course, his heart

paused when he saw her again, as it always had. She faced away from him, hunched over the cooking stove trying to light it. She was so absorbed she didn't

notice him until he cleared his throat and then she whipped around to face him.

"Katara." He breathed. She gasped in response and a small part of him died. Her gasp was one of the most sensual sounds he had ever heard. He stared into

her blue eyes. A part of him knew that if he could fall into her eyes, it'd be just like falling into the ocean. But at the same time, those ocean-blue eyes held an

immense amount of fire.

It was Katara who broke the spell, ripping her eyes away from his and resettled them on the floor by his feet. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to hide his now

straining member.

"Katara," he tried again, but his voice still sounded like a rasp. _She's killing me_ he thought, before he shook his head, cleared his throat, and tried for a third

time. "Katara…" her blue eyes wandered back to his "do you need my help?" She blinked once, not understanding, her eyes drifted back to his feet. Then her

head sprung back to his and her face turned red for no reason.

**-Katara-**

She heard him say her name and she looked up at him. Looking back at him was a mistake. She felt her heart constrict, her palms sweat, and her clothes

began to feel too tight and hot. Then he asked her if she needed help. At first, she was confused and she let her eyes drift back to his feet. On route, they

paused at his waist where she noticed his new state. _'Do I need your help' obviously!_ She thought, _And it appears you too need…help… Are you trying to kill me?_

Then she had a horrible, but wonderful thought and she spoke.

"With what Zuko?" she asked innocently, but completely aware of her breathless tone. She watched as her words sunk in. His eyes widened and his lips

parted. He actually stumbled backward, one of the first ungraceful things she had seen him do.

"Could I help you start the fire?" he asked, "It would be my honor." He added in attempt to regain a more formal atmosphere. She smiled a slow smile.

"Why Zuko, the pleasure is all mine." she stretched out the word pleasure just enough.

**-Zuko-**

When she said that the pleasure was all hers, he lost it. It was like a crack of lightening or a spark of fire into dry timber. And in a heartbeat, he was beside

her. He stood only inches in front of her, but still not touching. Her eyes widened and he could feel her tickling breath on his face. Slowly, he reached behind

her, summoned a small flame in his palm, and the stove sparked to life.

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**a/n I hope you liked it! PLEASE review! THANK YOU!**


	5. Chapter 5 --Contemplate

**a/n Hey, everyone! Thank you so much for all of your reviewing, favoriting, and following! I'm really flattered (and speechless), at the response I'm getting from you all! In this chapter, we get a peek inside of Aang's head, and we see the blooming of some future Taang. To answer your burning question: No, the fight does not take place in this chapter. Sorry! I know you probably hate me for this, but I thought there needed to be one more chapter before the fight scene. Hope you like it!**

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Chapter 5 ~Contemplate~

**-Katara-**

He was so close she could feel the heat radiating off him. It would only take a small lean forward to connect her lips and his. For a moment, he seemed to

stretch even closer and his hand reached behind her. A cold tingling feeling ran up and down her back, and her eyes darted away from his to track his

wandering hand. She felt a flash of heat behind her then she heard the telltale sounds of a fire.

Katara whipped around to face the stove just in time to see Zuko withdraw his hand. Surprise was written all over her face as she turned back around to face

him, but he was already gone.

**-Zuko-**

A part of him really wished he could have seen the look on her face when she spun back around. _Oh well_ he thought as he headed off to make sure Aang was

up. He had deployed all of his speed and stealth skills to slip away while her back turned, because as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't resist her.

Before today, he didn't know she returned any of his feelings, but the way she purposefully teased him… He shook his head, still in disbelief. But if she

obviously felt the same, why did he run away? Ever since he first fought Katara, his heart had skipped at the very thought of her. Of course, he had tried to

erase the feelings he had for her, but whenever he saw her again, they would come back as sharp and vivid as her blue eyes.

Zuko stopped suddenly as a new wave of understanding hit him. _Now that I'm with the Avatar, and Katara feels mutually, why do I have to hide it?_ His steps felt

lighter as he continued down the hallway. He looked out the window; the sun had now fully risen and shown down brightly. _Agni_, he thought as he picked up

his pace, he had let Aang sleep in too long.

**-Katara-**

After her initial shock, she busied herself with the tasks at hand. She boiled water (over the fire Zuko had made) for the tea and rice, and then started mincing

some mushrooms she had found on their journey.

Suki was the first person to arrive for breakfast.

"Good morning, Katara." She said cheerily.

"Hey, Suki," she replied before resuming her rice scooping, "good morning to you too." Sokka stumbled in, still half asleep.

"Something smells good," he said yawning as he put his arm around Suki's waist, "I'm starving." Suki turned to look up at him.

"Didn't you get enough last night?" she asked innocently. After hearing that, Katara wasn't sure if she needed to throw up or even if her jaw was still attached.

The scoop of rice in her spoon plopped back into the pot. Rigidly, she continued to fill the bowl and handed it to Suki (without meeting her gaze). She almost

yelled _GROSS!_, but somehow managed to keep it within her. In truth, she had done her share of gross things, but at least her previous partners didn't say

thinly veiled innuendos.

She found herself whisked away into her memories. …. Jet had been her first…he had been tall, strong…strategic… It had all happened too fast, what

with Sokka being so disapproving. In the end, it was probably best that she hadn't stayed with him too long. Jet's personal tastes were a little kinkier than she

had expected… Then there had been the short thing (or fling) with Haru… but that didn't work out… he didn't have enough fiery spirit. He was too timid. It

hadn't really hurt her feelings when Haru went with the rest of the group after Azula forced them to split up at the Western Air Temple. She was somewhat

glad she didn't have to end it with him… Now Zuko filled her daydreams and occupied her thoughts/dreams at night… After he had helped her find and face Yon

Rha, and then let her decide the fate of that lowly man, she found herself re-evaluating him. She found that he wasn't afraid of her power and had enough

spirit of his own. He was also a powerful bender and Aunt Wu said... Zuko had a strong build and… was so handsome… his eyes…his-

"Good morning, Katara!" Aang's innocent voice pierced her thoughts.

"Err… good morning, Aang." She replied dragging herself out of lovely dreams.

"I don't see why Zuko has to wake me up so early." Aang yawned, picking up a bowl filled with rice. Katara just smiled. "Later, Toph promised to show me her

sandbending. Care to watch?"

"No, no thanks, Aang, maybe later?"

"Okay," Aang reluctantly agreed, taking his bowl of rice he went and sat down. Katara felt bad. She'd known for a while that he had a crush on her, but she

never wanted to hurt his feelings and tell him she didn't feel the same. But ever since Haru she'd been wanting a more… bold companion and Aang just didn't

fit that profile. He was too young and innocent.

The day carried on. Aang continued his firebending training with Zuko, practiced sandbending with Toph, and now was practicing his waterbending in the ocean

with Katara. She tried to act enthusiastic when he did a form right, but her heart wasn't in it. Every time she even thought about Zuko her heart would skip and

she got this tingling feeling all over.

**-Aang-**

_What was up with Katara?_ He thought glumly. She hadn't been paying attention this whole training session. He sighed and dropped the water arms he'd been

holding up.

"Hey, Katara, can we be done?" he asked.

"Wh-what, Aang? Sorry." Katara replied, turning back to face him.

"Eh, er…" Now that he had her attention, he didn't know what to say. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. Then Toph walked up to the beach.

"Hey Twinkle Toes!" she yelled, "if you're done splashing around down there I have some new moves to show you!" Aang's face perked up. _Thank you!_ He

screamed silently.

"Okay," he called back and turned to Katara, "I guess I better go… Bye, Katara!" And he hopped out and dashed up the sand.

**-Zuko-**

He sat quietly in his room in the middle of his bed. Not quite meditating, (his heart was beating too fast for that), but breathing deep, slow breaths. After each

heartbeat, he was closer to facing her. He could already feel the day winding down and the sun sinking lower into the horizon. All throughout dinner, he

repeatedly had to remind himself not to stare at her. But something seemed wrong with her. She didn't eat very much and she kept shifting in her seat,

especially when she caught him staring…

He didn't realize he had fallen asleep until there was a light knock on his door. He bolted upright.

"Come in," he said. A few seconds later, Katara opened his bedroom door. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Were you sleeping, Zuko?" she all but laughed.

"Yes," he replied defensively.

"Good," she smiled and he could see the fire dancing in her eyes, "you'll need all your strength for tonight."

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**a/n So, what did you think?! I just couldn't resist leaving the chapter the way I did. xD  
Any and all reviews (or any other form of showing me that you like what I'm writing and you think it doesn't stink and you want me to continue) is greatly appreciated! THANK YOU!**


	6. Chapter 6 --Hot

**a/n I am loving the love I've been getting from you all! I'm so glad you're liking what I'm writing (even if my chapters are a little short…). And now *drum roll please* for the moment you've all been waiting for… THE FIGHT!**

**And things do get a little more hot (title joke) in this chapter, so please abide by the ****M**** rating.**

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Chapter 6 ~Hot~

**-Zuko-**

His anger melted away, but an odd silence stretched on. He wondered if she knew what she was suggesting, or if she knew how hard he just got when she

said things like that. He cleared his throat.

"Yes, uhm… lets go." And he got up off his bed. A wonderfully teasing idea came to him, and he shrugged off his shirt, making sure to roll his shoulders so his

muscles rippled. _YES!_ He thought as he saw her eyes widen while her lips parted in surprise. Now smirking he crossed the room and through the door. He

could hear her soft footsteps behind him as he headed to the beach.

Quietly, they slipped out into the humid night.

"It's about time." A voice complained. Zuko jumped in his skin, and a grinning Toph emerged from behind a tree.

"Uh, Toph, hi," Katara said, turning to Zuko she said, "Zuko, look, there's-"

"No, Katara," he interrupted, "There's-"

"There's something I need to tell you," they said in unison. They took a step back from each other in surprise.

"I made a deal with Toph." He said sheepishly.

"That's funny, I made a deal with Toph too." Katara's eyes narrowed as she looked at the earthbender.

"Yeah, that's really great guys. You both promised me that I could watch the fight, so let's get started." Toph said as she rubbed her hands together as if she

was about to eat a delicious meal. Katara looked at him. There was something in this look that he didn't like.

"Okay," she acquiesced and resumed walking towards the beach.

"She's pissed you know." Toph said to him as they started to follow Katara.

"What? I didn't do anything." He cried innocently. _Okay maybe I did do something…_ he thought, "Sure, I made a deal with you, but she made the exact same

deal too!" he clarified.

"There, there," Toph said unsympathetically, "she's not really mad at you. I think she's made at herself."

"Why?" he asked, but Toph didn't answer. They continued down the path in silence.

Katara and he walked to the middle of the beach, halfway between the ocean and the trees. Without a sun or a moon, the stars were the only immediate

source of light. _It would be harder to tell when Katara was attacking _he thought and grimaced.

"I want a nice clean fight," Toph instructed, "from both of y-" she stopped, "oh what the hell just do whatever you want." Zuko wasn't sure that was the best

idea, but he nodded in agreement.

"How do we know who's won?" he asked, looking at Toph.

"We'll know I've won when you surrender." Katara supplied smugly. He snorted and Katara narrowed her eyes.

"Or if one of you dies," joked Toph. Katara and he turned to glare at her. "I'm just saying!"

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." He said softly.

"Whatever. Are you ready?" asked Toph. They both nodded and dropped into a defensive stance. "Okay, uh… ding!" _Here goes nothing_ he thought. And the

battle was on.

Katara advanced, gathering water from the ocean to form giant tentacles. A moment later one of her octo-arms transformed into three ice daggers aimed at

directly at him. He crossed his arms and roared, making two fiery whips and a mouth blast to knock her daggers out of the air. Before he could send an

offensive blow, another watery arm stretched out and formed a whip. But Zuko was already on the move. He crouched down under her whip, rolled away two

feet, and uncurled with a fire blast aimed her at octo-arm. Her watery limb hissed and fizzled while it fell from her control to the ground. However, no sooner

had it fallen did she summon up a replacement.

"Oh come on, Zuko, can't you do better?" she taunted. Even in the low light, he could see her smirk and her dancing eyes.

"Alright then," he replied, "just remember: you asked for it." And with that, he sprang into the air, sending out a circle of fire around him. As he sent out his

blast, the night too sparked to life. While he was in the air, he saw her draw up an ice shield to deflect his fire. He landed softly in the now damp sand only a

few inches from her. "Was that better?" he rasped. Standing so close, he could see her eyes widen fractionally while she nodded. _Agni those eyes_ he thought

as he became momentarily lost in their depths. Remembering himself, he smirked. But the next thing he knew there was an icy grip around his ankle and he

was suddenly upside-down.

**-Katara-**

_Got you!_ she thought. Her face split into a huge grin as she watched the surprise unfold on his face. While he was being his arrogant self in her face, she has

inconspicuously worked a water tentacle around his right leg. Now she had him strung up by his foot upside-down in front of her. With a flick of her wrists, she

froze the arm, locking his ankle in place.

"Well, well, well," she said and started making a tsk sound with her tongue, shaking her head at him. He thrashed in the air trying to right himself. His head

swayed just inches from her own and his bare chest shook heavily. "Do you give up?" Suddenly he stopped struggling. A purposefully look came into his good

eye and for a moment she was distracted. _His honey gold eyes could reduce any ice into a puddle_ she thought. Although his scar obscured his left eye, it didn't

lose any of its brilliance. His scar was just a part of him and she didn't want to change it even if she could, although she had once offered. _I wonder how he got _

_the scar_ she thought absentmindedly, too absentmindedly.

"AGNI!" she swore as suddenly Zuko had her pinned against the sandy beach.

**-Zuko-**

He struggled against his ice-clad foot, trying to regain his footing (or any footing). When she gloated in his face, he suddenly found his focus. He took a deep

breath through his mouth and let it go slowly through his nose. The slow breathing would warm up his chi and melt his icy shackle. All the while, he thought

about how she fought. During their fight, he noticed that she mainly used her arms for bending octo-arms, water whips, or ice daggers. He knew if he really

wanted to win, he would have to restrain her arms. He could tell she was lost in thought, oblivious to his circulating heat. And she did not expect him to free

himself, so she was an easy pin.

"AGNI!" she cursed loudly as he pinned her. He smiled. She struggled out of his hold but it was no use.

"Do you give up?" he asked.

"Never!" she replied, jutting out her chin in defiance. Her jolt ran through him like electricity and he suddenly realized the position he was in. He had straddled

her waist and held his weight on his arms, which held her hands above her head. His bare chest blocked her view of the night sky.

"Agni," he muttered quietly. She must have heard him because he heard a soft gasp and her eyes turned up to meet his. "Katara I-" he started.

"Ahem!" somebody cleared their throat about a foot away from where Katara and he lay. They looked over. Toph stood, her hands on her hips

'looking' at them. "Well, Sugar Queen I believe that's a pin. So, congratulations, Hot Pants." And with that, she turned and walked back towards the palace.

"Did she just call me 'Hot Pants?'" he asked, looking back at Katara who giggled. Her giggling was a (practically) painful reminder of just what kind of position

he was in.

"I don't know, Zuko," she bit her lip to stifle her laughter, "I think your pants are pretty hot."

* * *

**a/n SOOOO... what'd you think? Did this fight live up to your expectations? Please remember to review so I know how I'm doing!**

**And a shout out to "********The Confrontational Approach" ****by Advocaat**** for inspiring parts of this fight scene.**


	7. Chapter 7 --Can't

**a/n A huge thanks to those who reviewed chapter 6! I was unsure on how it would be received, but now I'm feeling better about it. And THANK YOU to all those who are favoriting/following this story and myself! I would not be on here writing if it wasn't for YOU!**

**When I began this chapter, I realized that the opening needed to be told from both Katara's and Zuko's POV. So the beginning first POVs are Katara's and then Zuko's, but they're happening simultaneously (if that makes any sense. So it's more like chapter one). Things get a little more intense in this chapter, but 2nd base is not achieved (that's to come later ^_~ ).**

* * *

Chapter 7 ~Can't~

-**Katara**-

_Agni! Did I just say that?_ She thought, and she couldn't help but burst back into her giggling fit at Zuko's face. His eyes were wide and full of heated lust. The

look in his eyes drew her attention back to what was making his pants just so hot. Mid-giggle they both seemed to realize exactly their new situation. Here she

was, underneath a shirtless and an obviously turned on Zuko, at night, alone, and (if she was honest with herself) horny. Their eyes seemed to fuse together,

locked in their own little universe.

Other girls might have thought this situation would be intimidating or unwelcomed, but she'd secretly been hoping for this for a while now. Of course, every

buried feeling she had for him had sprung up with deeper passion more and more recently… _Especially the last night_ she thought. And now she was ready. She

wanted this.

-**Zuko**-

_Agni! Did she just say that?_ He thought. His eyes widened and he could feel his gaze intensify—as did the feeling in his "hot pants." She abruptly stopped

giggling (thank Agni) and stared back at him with those sharp blue eyes. He watched as understanding washed over her, as she analyzed their current

situation. Toph had left them alone and in a very suggestive position. Katara's eyes seemed fused to his, locked together in their own little universe.

Other guys might have been ready for situations like this, but he really wasn't. He'd secretly wanted this for a while, but now that the moment was upon him,

he was terrified and so confused. His need for her was acute to pain. He had no idea what to do and he was terrified of doing something wrong and hurting

her. He wasn't ready, but he did really want this.

The voices of men aboard his ship now floated back to him. He remembered them describing the desperate fire that burns you from the inside out until your

release. They said that such fire was pleasurable and addictive; he had only really experienced this desire once, last night. The thought of Mai popped

unwelcomed into his mind. Sure, he had been with her for a while and he knew she always had a crush on him, but it wasn't the same. Mai had been too bland,

colorless. Her spirit was nothing like Katara's. Her eyes never danced for him as Katara's did right now.

It was those eyes and the person they belonged to that fueled his newfound longing last night. He desperately wanted to feel it again, but this time with her

smooth body in place of his rough hand. But something was still holding him back. It was the men from his ship. They had described pleasure, but also the

burns their partners could receive. He paled and shook his head. He didn't want that for Katara.

-**Katara**-

He seemed to be thinking about something very hard and she watched as his face slowly pale before he shook his head. Her heart stopped, her stomach

dropped, and her eyes bulged. She knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. Here he was straddled over her and a minute ago wanting her, but now he

was rejecting her. _What did I do?_ She thought.

"Zuko, I-" she gasped, at a loss for words and unable to continue. She tried again, "I-I-I'm sorry if-" _Agni!_ She cursed. It was hard to keep her train of thought

in this position.

"N-no!" he almost shouted, leaping off her for a moment, letting go of her hands and repositioning his own to gently cup her face. His forearms now bore his

weight, their chests flush, and his eyes much closer to hers. But a look of horror marred his eyes. Then, as if he was hiding, he tucked his head into the side of

her neck. She stared up wildly at the stars, confused. He had clearly said no, but she could also clearly feel the rod in his pants against her thigh.

"Zuko?" she asked after a minute. He was silent. Her hands still rested where he left them. She was unsure of what to do with them. "Zuko?" she asked again,

but she only felt him shake his head in response. Slowly she moved her arms. Zuko shifted slightly to aid their movement. Very gently, she brought them to his

bareback and hugged him closer. She heard his soft moan at the contact. Encouraged, she ran her hands up and down his back, feeling the heat pour off him.

She dug her nails in a little and he moaned again, louder this time. She started to do it again when he bolted out of his hiding spot. He rested his forehead

against hers. She stared back into his glowing eyes.

"I can't." he whispered, looking at her earnestly. Her bottom lip pouted.

"Why not?" she replied and absentmindedly resumed running her hands along his back.

"I-I uhm…" he looked almost embarrassed. _What?_ She thought. "I-I haven't done this…before." He closed his eyes, practically cringing at his own words, "I'm a

virgin." _What! He was a virgin?!_ Out of nowhere, a giggle rose up within her and spilled out. Zuko scrambled to his feet.

-**Zuko**-

He cringed, hating to say the word aloud. And then she started laughing. _Agni! Why was she laughing? _He thought. This wasn't funny, at all. Her laughter had

surprised him, and he leaped off her onto his feet. She stopped laughing and looked confused, her expression becoming grave as she got to her feet. He

couldn't look at her, choosing to turn his head to the left and to the ocean, but he sensed her as she moved to stand in front of him.

"I'm sorry." she said quietly, and reached up to caress his left cheek. His eyes automatically closed at the sensation and he leaned into her touch. She used

this leverage to move his head back to face her. Now she was looking him straight in the eyes. "I shouldn't have laughed. It's not funny…, but it's just not what

I was…expecting." He nodded, understanding. As the Prince, people would just assume things, especially with his father's reputation about concubines.

They were both silent for a moment, trying to read each other's eyes. He could read sincerity in her eyes and still saw a hint of the dancing flame. Katara

cleared her throat.

"So, you and Mai never…?" she couldn't finish her sentence, looking away from his gaze to blush.

"No." he replied softly. A smile flickered across her lips before she regained her serious composure.

"Do you still… want to… with me?" her voice became quieter and quieter until it was almost a squeak, but he still heard her. He was surprised with the flood of

anger he now felt and took a step back from her.

"Agni, Katara!" he said loudly and he ran his hands through his hair. _How could anyone not want you?!_ He internally screamed. She slowly lowered her arm back

to her side.

"I-I'm sorry, Zuko," she apologized, for what he wasn't sure, and chewed on her bottom lip. Her apology made him angrier.

"Don't apologize," he snapped. He took a calming breath, closed his eyes, and just stood still, hands still in his hair. He was surprised when he felt cool arms

banding his waist. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her, but he couldn't. Her eyes now held a pleading look, as if she

needed this to survive.

"Please, Zuko?" He wanted to scream _Yes, yes of course I want you!_, but he held himself back with every ounce of his self-control. _I have to make her_

_understand_ he thought. He sighed.

"I'm guessing you've done…this before?" he asked quietly. She didn't try to deny it and nodded. He winced, hating that some lucky bastard had already

achieved what he so desperately wanted, but he continued, "I'm guessing it was never with a firebender?" he gritted out the words.

"No," the rising moon illuminated her now-red face. He wasn't sure how he felt about her response. She really had no idea then, but then again, neither did he.

"Firebenders…especially when it's there first time…can sometimes…accidently burn their partners." He scanned her face, looking for any signs of disgust, but

there weren't any. He tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Zuko," she said calmly, "I'm a waterbender." _Where was she going with this?_ He thought. "And I'm a healer." He gasped and held his breath. This was too

much. Her arms were still wrapped around his waist, her eyes glowed with want, and his member was still rigid in his pants. And now the last string on his

control was severed. He groaned, threw his arms around her, and crashed their lips together.

* * *

**a/n PLEASE remember to REVIEW! I need to know how I'm doing! Thank you!**


	8. Chapter 8 --Salt

**a/n Wow. You people are amazing! I LOVE all of the reviews you gave on the last chapter! As long as you're liking (haha. Facebook pun) / reviewing / favorit-ing this story I vow to see it through to the end. You guys really are why I love to write.**  
**The only thing I want to say about this chapter before you read it is: Please remember that this FF is rated M.**

* * *

Chapter 8 ~Salt~

**-Katara-**

She stared calmly into his warm eyes. _But how dim can he be?_ She thought, _Of course I can heal myself!_ On another level, it warmed her heart that he cared so

much about not hurting her. He gasped when she told him about her healing and a moment later, he threw his arms around her waist, molded her shape to

him, and their lips crashed together.

She couldn't change her past, and up until now, she didn't really care how many boys she had kissed. Now she hated it. She felt duped. Those kisses had

seemed passionate at the time, but Zuko's kiss left them all in the dust. He sighed into her mouth and his hands rubbed up and down her back, keeping her

close. Her left hand moved out of his hair and began to wonder around his sculpted, naked back. His arms felt so strong as she ran her hands over them. She

felt a light sheen of sweat as her hand traveled back to his neck. She groaned and wound her fingers tighter in his hair, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss.

"Agni, Katara!" he gasped, leaning away for a moment. "Are you sure yo-" she didn't let him finish. His mane-like hair gave her ultimate control of his head, and

she brought his lips back to hers. He was so surprised his mouth remained open, inadvertently giving her complete access.

She had never tried this kind of kissing before, because it had never seemed right and she always felt uncomfortable about it. But now she didn't care. Now felt

right. Her tongue hesitantly started to stroke his. His hands stilled as she felt him jolt in surprise. A groan rumbled through her as she felt the marvelous friction

between his straining pants and her damp under-wraps. He must have felt it too, because he moaned. His tongue slowly began to meet hers and she loved it.

The world seemed to stop. There was nothing else besides Zuko and herself. As their kisses grew more heated, she felt like wrapping her legs around him, just

to increase their friction. However, she wasn't sure if he could take it… especially if she surprised him. _He might accidentally drop me into the sand… then he'd _

_fall on top of me… and we would end up together in the sand… and…_ she lost her train of thought. The idea started to sound better and better to her. She

extracted her fingers from his unruly hair and clung tightly to his neck. Her eyes peeked open, sneaking a look at him before she executed her plan. Pure,

unmasked joy filled his face. The moonlight turned his red scar into a pale form of sepia. _Oh_ she sighed and she jumped.

**-Zuko-**

Kissing her was the best feeling in the world. He was finally able to hold her close to him and fill his lungs with her sweet scent. He could feel every twitch and

tremor in her body as if it was his own. She seemed so sure of what she wanted and was getting herself into, but he… he knew he wanted her, but he wasn't

sure that was enough to risk hurting her. Learning that she could heal herself had dispelled some of his fears, but he wanted to be sure she knew what would

happen if she kept kissing him like this. So he tried to speak.

"Agni, Katara! Are you sure yo-" but before he could finish, her lips cut him off. He gasped in surprise, and she took full advantage, plunging her tongue into his

mouth. His hands stilled, eyes opened, and he jolted in alarm. Seeing the look of pure joy on her face calmed him, and his moment of surprise was fleeting.

_Agni!_ He thought as he reclosed his eyes. _What did I ever do to deserve this? _

He had thought those words many times in the past, but never under such fantastic circumstances. He could hardly believe that she was here, in his arms. It

was both the most calming and exciting sensation he had ever imagined.

The outside world was silent to him. Nothing could distract from having beautiful Katara all to himself. Their kisses grew stronger and he grew harder. _Agni!_ He

thought again. He felt the odd sensation that she was staring at him, but before he could open his eyes and confront her, she jumped.

In a moment governed by pure reflexes, his arms moved and caught her. For a split second, the movement threw him off balance and he stumbled backwards.

Her legs wrapped around his waist like a vice grip. He groaned loudly. She was so close to him now. His arms supported most of her weight underneath her

upper thighs. Her elbows were cutting into the back of his neck, but he wasn't about to complain. In this new position, Katara was slightly above him and he

had to tilt his chin up to stay in contact with her.

"Whoa!" he breathed, cutting off their kiss. He looked up into her brilliant blue eyes. Her face was silhouetted by the pale moon light, making her look even

more beautiful, which hardly seemed possible. She smiled.

"Nice catch," she whispered, staring back into his eyes. He grinned. It was probably the biggest, broadest, stupidest grin she had ever seen, but he didn't care.

She made him feel so alive. The feelings he had for her made his chest hurt just thinking about her. "I didn't expect you to-" this time, his urgent kiss

interrupted her.

As they kissed, she began to squirm, constantly readjusting herself against him. Every move she made elicited a deep groan from him. But soon her movements

seemed almost taunting. He hated to relinquish his grip on her, but he had too. The fire was burning too hot without any end or form of suitable release in

sight.

She slid down his body until she landed softly on the sand.

"Katara, I…" he shook his head, unable to express what he was feeling. It was all so new to him. She smiled up at him and gently reached up to cup his face

with her left hand.

"I know," she whispered, "I can help." And her hand abandoned his face to join her other hand at the sash of his pants.

"Katara! Stop! Wait!" he cried, staring into her eyes, "You don't ha-AGNI!" He instantly forgot what he was saying as her hands made contact with his

throbbing erection.

**-Katara-**

At first, she was disappointed that he had caught her, but when her groin smashed against his… She was so glad he did.

"Nice catch," she whispered. He seemed stupidly proud of himself and his grin made her heart stop. Out of fairness, she decided she should tell him how

preemptive her move was, "I didn't expect you to-" he silenced her in the best possible way.

This new position allowed his hands to grab her underneath by her thighs, which thrilled her. She started to squirm and grind herself into him. Suddenly, she

was sliding down his slick body. But she knew perfectly well why and bless him he looked almost embarrassed. Her toes felt good in the cool sand. She stared

up at him and was surprised to find a forlorn look on his face. _Slow down,_ she reminded herself, _he's a virgin!_

"Katara, I…" he couldn't finish what he was about to say, but she understood. Well, not completely, because she'd never been with a virgin before, but she

understood enough…

"I know," she whispered, "I can help." She removed her hand from his face, undid his pants, and gripped him.

She kept a close eye on him, unsure of how he would respond, after asking her to stop.

"AGNI!" he cried loudly, jerking his hips and tipping his head back. A quick smile passed her lips, before she grasped him tighter. His breaths started to come as

puffs and he gently gripped her hair. _Wow._ She thought. _He sure was ready…_ Her hands paused for a moment, letting him get use to this. His eyes were still

closed and his jaw was slack. Then, ever so carefully, she took him into her mouth.

She watched as his eyes sprung open and his fingers dug into her hair. It seemed like his eyes couldn't decide if they should stay open or close, so they

flickered instead. He moaned loudly. She smiled and took him in farther, until she felt him at the back of her throat. As she pulled him out of her mouth, she

sucked him really hard and ran her tongue over his tip. His grip on her head was almost painful, but she didn't mind.

"K-Ka-…I…am...I can't...I...Oh sweet Agni!" She knew he was close, so she firmly grasped his hips, and doubled her efforts.

**-Zuko-**

No amount of words could ever tell her how happy she makes him, not just doing what she was doing at the moment, but anytime she laughed or smiled and

he was blessed enough to see it. Her lips around him was the new best feeling in the world. It quickly obliterated all thoughts or reason. But before all of his

mind was taken over by this new, but wonderful, feeling, he thought _Agni this feels so good… She's so good_ then his brain made the unwanted connection _How _

_did __she __become this good?_ The answer was obvious, so he pushed it aside.

He was close, so close, but he wasn't sure if he should tell her… The men on his ship said that some girls don't like to swallow… It was all he could do to try to

form his warning.

"K-Ka-…I…am...I can't...I...Oh sweet Agni!" He was almost at the edge. Maybe she sensed how desperate he was becoming, because she firmly grasped his

hips and doubled her efforts. He felt the unfamiliar tightness in his balls and then he felt her draw back her lips until she held him with just her teeth. That was

it.

"A-Agni!" the words ripped through him as he suddenly and powerfully came into her luscious mouth. She took every last drop of him, milking him until the fire

slowly died. He felt compelled to look down and make sure of what just happened. The sight of her, still with her mouth full of him, was probably the most erotic

thing he had ever seen. Her piercing blue eyes danced with delight. Very gently, she let him go, and he watched as she swallowed. _Oh Agni!_ He thought. She

accepted his hands and he helped pull her to her feet.

They just stared at each other for a moment, communicating with their eyes. He leaned down and kissed her. She jumped, seemingly surprised. He poured all

of the thanks and gratitude he felt into their connection, his tongue bravely entering her mouth. His eyes opened, shocked when he discovered he could taste

the salty tang of his own arousal lingering in her mouth. It wasn't unpleasant, but he didn't like it. He broke away from her mouth and switched to kissing the

side of her neck.

"So…" she said. He felt the words tremble through her. His lips kissed its way to the softness of her ear. He breathed in, smelling her unique scent that now

mixed with the salty smell of sweat.

"Yes?" he whispered quietly into her ear. He gently sucked on her earlobe. She made a weird noise. It sounded like a giggle, but also like a groan, so he

stopped and withdrew to read her face.

"How was that?" She asked almost timidly, not meeting his eyes. He frowned for a moment and tipped her chin up with his right hand.

"Oh Katara," he closed his eyes even at the memory, "that was hands down the best thing I've ever felt." She smiled, but her eyes still looked nervous. _Why?_

He thought. "Katara, what's wrong?" he paused, "Have you ever done this before?" Her blush deepened. And in truth, so did his.

"Yes," was all he got for a reply. He knew she had probably done it before, but he still saw red for a moment. He took a calming breath of the cool night air.

"What's wrong?" he asked again. She didn't meet his gaze again. He was starting to get really worried. "Katara," he said her name so forcefully that she

looked up at him, "tell me. What's wrong?" Instead of replying, she took a step away from him. "Wh-what?" he asked confused. He watched as she bended a

small bubble of water from the ocean to her. _Maybe she's thirsty?_ He asked himself. She put most of the water into her mouth and the rest fit to her hands like

mittens. He finally understood everything when her hands began to glow. She was healing herself. It felt like there was a gaping wound in his heart and

seeing her healing herself was like salt in that wound. He had hurt her. He had burned her. He was a monster.

* * *

**a/n Sorry to leave you hanging...Okay, maybe not THAT sorry. PLEASE review! Tell me how I'm doing! Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9 --Sorry

**a/n Thank you for the feedback and following! I'm so glad you liked the previous chapter!  
****So this chapter is written a little bit more from Katara's POV and it doesn't have as much simultaneous stuff as the last chapter (so more like Chapter 4). This chapter is still M-ish, but not as much and… well I guess you'll just have to read and see!**

* * *

Chapter 9 ~Sorry~

**-Katara-**

It wasn't until he kissed her that she noticed the burns. She could tell he knew something was wrong, so she tried to distract him by asking him how she did.

His reply had made her smile, but she couldn't look at him. She knew she was a horrible liar, her eyes always displaying her thoughts. _Agni!_ She swore in her

head as she traced the inside of her mouth with her tongue, feeling burn welts forming.

"Have you ever done this before?" he asked her, distracting her from her discreet inspection.

"Yes," she quickly muttered and resumed. Even though she wasn't looking at him, she could sense his shoulders square and his body tense. _Apparently, he's _

_the jealous type._ She noted in her head. The pain was becoming insistent, demanding to be acknowledged. Almost on a subconscious level, she heard him

repeatedly asking her what was wrong, but she couldn't answer. Answering would require talking and that cause her more pain. _Agni! Why?_ Her mind shouted.

The pain was all she could think about. She had to heal herself.

She sighed and took a step back from him so she'd have enough room to bend some water and heal her burns. The water flowed into her mouth, incased her

hands, and started glowing their soothing blue. Her eyes were closed while she healed herself, gratefully feeling the pain of every burn fade. She let go of the

water and it splashed onto the sand. When she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her. His fists clenched, eyebrows knit, and his teeth ground back

and forth. She didn't understand the hatred she now read in his eyes.

"Zuko?" she asked gently as she moved closer to him, lifting her right arm wanting stroke his cheek. He instantly stepped back.

"Don't." he replied, his voice cold and thick with malice. He roughly refastened his pants. She frowned and dropped her hand. _Did I do something wrong?_ She

thought.

"Zuko, I'm sorry." Was the only thing she could think to say. His eyebrows shot up and his face grew red, angrier if possible.

"_You're_ sorry!" Her mind floundered for an explanation to his mood, but came up with nothing. She looked down at her hands, now clasped in front of her.

"Katara," her gaze lifted at the sound of her name.

"Yes?" she asked softly. His anger seemed to be fading.

"I'm the one who should be sorry." He said softly, "And I am. I. Am. So. Sorry." Each word came out forcefully, as if willing her to accept them and forgive him.

_For what?_ She didn't know.

"For what?" she asked, voicing her thoughts. She needed clarification. He groaned.

"For everything," he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand. "For hurting you," his voice was so quiet she was surprised she had

heard him. Her eyes widened. "I think I should go." He added. He turned and started walking passed her, back up the trail to the Palace.

"Zuko!" she all but shouted and reached out for his arm. Her hands caught his left arm by the wrist and she pulled around, back to her. With her left hand, she

arrested his other wrist. Now he stood in front of her. Before he bent his head, she caught the look on his face and it showed that he was really surprised. She

held onto his wrists tightly, ensuring that he couldn't easily escape. "Zuko," her voice was softer now, "I'm fi-"

"No, you're not." He interrupted her venomously. His voice directed at the space between them and not at her face. "You don't know how sorry I am for burning

you. I am a monster." What he said shocked her so much that she let go of his wrists. How did she go about correcting him? Sure, it had hurt for a while, but

she had healed herself and she was all better now. She couldn't think of anything to say. So she just reached out, grabbed him by his bare shoulders, and

crushed him to her. At first, he tensed in her arms, but as the seconds ticked by his arms reached around to complete their embrace and she felt him relax. Her

hands wandered across his sculpted back. He was so strong and lean. She turned her head so she could kiss his neck and smell his unique scent. She sighed.

"Zuko," she said softly into his ear, "you are not a monster." She felt him open his mouth to protest, but she continued on, ignoring him. "You said it was

'hands down the best thing I've ever felt,' and-"

"But it was not worth hurting you." He interrupted. His voice sounded muffled because he had his face buried in her hair. Reluctantly, she gave up her hole in

his neck to lean away a little to look at him dead in the eyes.

"Zuko, I healed myself. I. Am. Fine." She annunciated the last words very clearly.

**-Zuko-**

Here she was again, repeating that she was fine and that he wasn't a monster. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Why couldn't she see how horrible and

selfish he had acted? And that he didn't deserve her apologies or comfort. He heard her huff in annoyance and opened his eyes.

"What can I do to make you understand that I'm fine, now?" she asked, almost glaring at him. _Nothing, because you're not!_ was the retort that instantly came to

mind, but he held his tongue. Two paths stretched before him. He could selfishly accept her apology or face up to what he'd done. There was really only one

option.

"There is nothing you can do," he replied calmly, "I burned you in the most selfish way possible, and I am so sorry."

"Zuko," she sighed and reached up to cup his left cheek. He couldn't help but lean into her soothing touch, "I don't understand why you can't see that I'm fine.

I love you and you don-"

"What did you say?" he asked quickly, tightening his grip around her bare waist––the place between her top and skirt. He stared into her eyes, searching for a

sign that she was lying. Her eyes glimmered back at him in pure honesty and she smiled. He couldn't believe his ears. Had she really just said the "L" word? No

one besides his mother and his uncle had ever told him that they loved him. Her other hand moved and caressed his right cheek, so she held his head with

both of her hands.

"Zuko, no matter what you do or say, I am in love with you."

**-Katara-**

Telling Zuko that she loved him had slipped out by accident at first, but now that she had said it, she didn't want to stop. She had never told anyone outside

her family that she loved them. Only within the last few days (_Agni, last hours_ she corrected herself) had she started to associate her feelings for him with love.

She quickly reviewed the evidence: Almost every time their eyes met, she felt a connection and a zap like an electric shock. After the whole Southern Raiders

event (and she had forgiven him), she couldn't understand her own feelings. Now it all made sense. _I am in love with him_ she repeated over and over in her

mind.

"I-I-I…" he stammered at a loss for words. Suddenly, it seemed he couldn't stand that they were apart, all be it a few inches, and he engulfed her back into an

embrace. "I love you, too." He breathed in her ear. His warm breath tickled and his words made her heart melt.

They stood like that for a while, perfectly folded in each other's arms. The moon rested in the middle of the sky, casting its pale light across the sandy beach. A

light breeze started rustling the nearby palm trees. His heartbeat steadied and she could feel its rhythm like it was her own. She heard him sigh and he leaned

back to look at her.

"We should go inside. It's late." He murmured. There was a reluctant undertone to his voice. Almost against his will, she watched as his eyes drooped a little.

He was tired. She giggled. Then her giggle turned into a roaring laugh. Her vision blurred she was laughing so hard. He cupped her face in both of his warm

hands. _He must think I'm crazy_ she thought idly and continued to laugh. A tear actually slipped out of her right eye and started down her face before he softly

wiped it away.

"What's so funny?" he asked, a hint of concern was etched in his face and voice, so she tried to explain.

"I rise with the moon. You rise with the Sun.'" she paraphrased. He smiled slightly, but he still looked worried. It took two deep breaths before her laughter

subsided. "I love you," she said, again. He groaned.

"And I you." he whispered before he leaned down and kissed her.

Now that they had both acknowledged their mutual love, their kisses took on a new passion. And she found that their other kisses had been dull in

comparison. She moaned against his lips.

"Agni," he mumbled into her mouth. Her hands found their way back into his fantastic hair. They pushed and tugged on it, changing the depth of their

connection. His right hand gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear, while his left hand pressed against her bare waist to keep her firmly against him. As they

kissed, she felt so turned on and her under-wrapping became wetter and wetter. If the granite column pressing against her stomach was anything to go off,

she could tell he was turned on too. Her thoughts were scattering. She released his hair and her hands fumbled with the knot on her top. All she could think

about was Zuko and that she wanted all the barriers between them broken. _Too bad he already had done up his pants… Ha! Ha! Success!_ She thought as the

knot gave way. With a small step back and a fluent wave of her arm, she stood topless in front of him.

A few boys had seen this much of her, but no boy she loved. Zuko looked down into her eyes. His fingers dusted her shoulders, sending shivers up and down

her spine. The shivery feeling and the gentle wind made her nipples pucker. But as nice as it felt, he could have touched her shoulders earlier. She wanted

them both to fully appreciate and experience her being topless.

"Have you ever seen a woman topless before, Zuko?" she whispered.

**-Zuko-**

Wow. She was now topless, but he wasn't sure what he should do. His fingers skated absently over her shoulders.

"Have you ever seen a woman topless before, Zuko?" she whispered. A few horrible memories of seeing concubines sneak in or out of the firelord's chambers

flashed through his mind. _Surely, your father's sex slaves didn't count?_ He thought. And he shook his head in disgust.

"No one that I love," he answered softly.

"Concubines." She said, guessing his previous thoughts. Although she hadn't asked a question, he felt compelled to answer and explain.

"Yes," he nodded grimly, "they'd often sneak in or out of my father's chambers…" his voice faded. Her revulsion was clear, so in an attempt to lighten the mood

he added, "There was also the occasionally topless woman at the beach." She gasped then playfully wacked him on the arm. The smack on his arm didn't hurt,

but the way her breasts jiggled with the motion made him groan ever so softly.

"When did you ever have time to go to the beach?" she teased.

"Well, it's been a long time, but this is… or was… my family's vacation home." A smile flickered across his lips, remembering the few happy memories he had of

this place.

"Zuko." Her voice was so quiet he wasn't sure if she even knew she had said it aloud. It seemed she liked to hear and say his name as much as he liked hear

and say hers.

"Katara." He replied equally quiet. She smiled, clearly hearing him, and threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her. The feeling was

novel to him. It was odd at first, almost like hugging a warm pillow, but he soon reveled in it. _Oh, Agni!_ He groaned. Her soft skin pushing against his bare chest

felt fantastic.

Their faces were so close together their noses touched. Her beautiful blue eyes shone with love. _Love._ During the past six years, he had never concerned

himself with girls (well there was that one date his Uncle arranged in Ba Sing Se…), let alone thought of love. Now he couldn't think of anything else. He loved

her. _I love Katara_ he repeated in his mind. Just thinking those words made his heart (and another part of him) swell.

She hadn't leaned in to kiss him yet. She just stared back into his eyes.

"I love you," she whispered and his heart skipped, "and I want you, but only when you're ready." His heart fell and his hot, coursing blood chilled. He wasn't

ready. He wasn't prepared to risk burning his love. But to keep them off this dark subject he pretended to misunderstand her and dug the front of his straining

pants into her taut belly. She threw her head back and laughed. "You know what I mean." She scolded gently. He sighed.

"No, I'm not ready." He whispered, shaking his head, "I'm sorry."

* * *

**a/n ****So...what did you think?! **If you hate cliffhangers then "I'm sorry." ^_~  
Thanks for reading and _please_ review! :)


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